Usmanov clarifies his Arsenal intentions as midnight looms

Alisher Usmanov's Red & White Holdings football investment vehicle has been forced to clarify its intentions after concerns about the Russian billionaire's acquisition of Arsenal shares were raised in this column yesterday.

Usmanov's statement in Moscow on Wednesday that he was aiming for a blocking stake in the club was sufficiently ambiguous for the 24% shareholder to have been permitted to mount a hostile takeover bid for the Premier League leaders. That was because a six-month restriction against him making a full offer for the club - imposed by the Takeover Panel after Red & White had previously ruled out any such move - was due to expire at midnight tonight.

Following the revelations here yesterday, the company stated: "Red & White has no current intention to make an offer for Arsenal and is committing to this position for a further six months." Red & White also pledged not to buy more than another 5% of shares on top of its 24%, which would trigger a mandatory offer for all the issued capital in the club, adding that it wants to focus on Premier League and Champions League title pushes.

There had also been direct discussions between the Arsenal Supporters' Trust and Red & White's chairman, David Dein, with the trust - which represents 700 fans who own a total of 3% of all the issued share capital in the club - welcoming yesterday's statement.

"The AST made it clear to Red & White that they should renew their statement to the Takeover Panel," it said. "We welcome the certainty this brings. We would like all shareholders to work together and this statement helps facilitate that."

Scudamore's big spiel

The Premier League's withdrawal from yesterday's scheduled visit to Fifa's Zurich headquarters led to the international round idea being widely characterised as dead in the water. But suggestions that the chief executive, Richard Scudamore, had been defeated underestimate how much he has invested in his self-styled "global expansion". Those who know Scudamore observe he grows bored between negotiations for the television deals, having already won the fight against the European Commission over collective selling of broadcast rights. Scudamore said the league "cannot afford to stand still", a sentiment he holds for his own career. Tellingly, during Scudamore's presentation to the Premier League shareholder clubs three weeks ago, one passage of the DVD was accompanied by a spiel on his own future role. And that was in large part as a roving international ambassador for the league: certainly a step up from arbitrating over who gets to screen Manchester United v Liverpool.

Sky looks west

Sky yesterday responded to Setanta's announcement on Tuesday that it had won the rights to cricket's Indian Premier League by tying up a five-year deal for West Indies matches, including England's tour next year.

Matters of the heart

The Football Association, the Professional Footballers' Association and the Football Foundation will embark on an awareness-raising programme aimed at reducing cardiac-related sudden deaths in the amateur game. The culture minister, Andy Burnham, espoused the cause, seeking to provide more widely accessible heart screening by putting the three organisations in touch with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.

Administrative chaos

At least three more Football League clubs are expected to file for administration before March 27 in an effort to prevent 10-point deductions next season. One is understood to be a struggling League One side, which means that three of the four teams relegated could be going down as a result of points penalties. The effect this is having on the competitive balance of the lower divisions has led to the league, which held its quarterly clubs' meeting yesterday, coming under pressure to rewrite its rules on administration. But with Leeds launching a legal challenge against their 15-point penalty for failing to meet the company voluntary arrangement regulation, the league is certain to refuse for now. matt.scott@guardian.co.uk